Better
by Salamanderfire
Summary: Rachel has always been better than Nalia at everything. Friends since birth, Nalia's never voiced her resentment about living in Rachel's shadow. But when Nalia gets a letter from a mysterious school she's never heard of, her friendship with Rachel is questioned as the girls find something that Rachel can't do better. ON HIATUS


**A/N: This is my first uploaded fanfiction, but I have more if anyone would like to see them. Leave me a review if you liked it, or you didn't. Hope you enjoy! **

**Next chapter will probably be up by Monday. **

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Nalia Jones leaned back in the plush theater seat. She smiled, listening to the performance taking place on the stage. Nalia slid lower down into her chair in the audience and waited for her best friend Rachel Savrsen's concert to be finished. Up on the stage, Rachel's coppery hair flew as she danced her bow over the strings of her viola forcefully yet gently, making a lovely tangle of notes. As usual, the small audience of parents and teachers were riveted by her performance. Eleven-year old Rachel was extremely talented at just about everything, Nalia thought. Nalia was used to being overshadowed by her friend, for it had happened since they were babies, and as they grew up together, Rachel's brilliance expanded. Nalia was dwelling on the memories: Rachel playing viola, Rachel being a soccer star, Rachel being the top of all of her classes...She was so absorbed in her thoughts that when the thunderous applause for her best friend began, she was startled. Nalia shook her head to clear her thoughts then joined in clapping.

After the music school concert was over, Nalia waited patiently backstage for Rachel to finish talking to her fellow performers and a group of fans. Rachel shone in her navy dress, her dark blue eyes sparkling with pride. Nalia watched from afar, as Rachel's viola instructor hugged her and said to her, "Perfect as usual, Miss Savrsen." Nalia grinned slightly at that. How many times had she and her best friend heard that said about the latter? Too many to count.

Eventually all the congratulations and compliments were finished, and Rachel was finally free.

"You did great, Rach!" gushed Nalia.

"Of course I did," said the copper-haired violist. "I'm perfect, you know."

The pair looked at each other for a few seconds. Nalia felt something in her wince. Then Rachel burst into laughter, Nalia soon joining in. Of course she wasn't perfect! Nalia had no idea what that little wince was. She kept laughing, trying to forget the feeling.

Rachel smiled one last time and then linked her arm through Nalia's. The two friends exited the concert hall, acting polite and innocent. As they got near the door, however, they abandoned all poise and rushed out into the late afternoon sun.

Running happily down the sidewalk on the way to Rachel's house, the girls were full of joy. Finally, they were together after being in the stuffy concert hall. Rachel and Nalia were inseparable best friends. They were complete opposites sometimes, but their friendship still worked. Nalia was dark skinned, with hazel eyes and curly cinnamon hair. Rachel had light skin with freckles, and dark blue eyes and copper hair. They had extremely different personalities. Rachel was the good girl, the one everybody liked, who was naturally gifted at everything she tried her hand at. Nalia was a quieter one, who sat in the back and avoided being called on. She hadn't really found her talent for anything. At Schrivener, the small British public school they attended, teachers were often remarking on their unusual bond.

But the two girls didn't really mind. Their differences didn't matter to them, it was sometimes what drew them to each other. Nalia laughed at a joke Rachel had made, as the girls slowed down and finally came to a stop. They had reached Rachel's house, so Nalia waited outside on the sidewalk while Rachel let herself in to change out of her performance dress. Nalia smiled as Rachel came out of her house, having changed into jean shorts and a blouse. It was still warm outside, with the late August sun beating down on their small English suburb. Her best friend raced across her expansive lawn, accidentally crushing a few flowers in the process. Rachel shook off the dirt from the bottom of her flip-flops and then bounded onto the sidewalk. Holy cricket, someone's got a lot of energy today, thought Nalia to herself.

"You know your mum's going to be really mad about the flowers, right?"

"I'm not worried. Mum'll just blame you, because she knows it couldn't be me, since I'm an angel who doesn't make mistakes." Rachel laughed.

It was this kind of half-joking jab that got to Nalia sometimes, a reminder that whatever they did, Rachel was always better.

After a long afternoon of exploring and having fun, Rachel and Nalia went back to their respective houses. Promising to convene in Nalia's room to discuss the upcoming school year and how they would go through it together, the girls said goodnight and closed the doors of their houses. It was convenient for the friends to be next-door neighbors; their parents could find them quickly. Nalia walked up to her room on the second floor, tired from that day's antics. She flopped onto her bed and stared at the bright blue walls of her room. I should really get up and eat supper in a few minutes, Nalia thought. But the blue was comforting and familiar, and she was_ so_ tired...Within a few minutes, Nalia Jones had fallen asleep in her clothes, dreaming peacefully.

When she awoke, light was streaming through her blinds. Nalia squinted as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Looking at the time on the clock, the curly haired girl started getting ready a little quicker. Rachel would be here in about an hour, ready to plan the year with Nalia. Nalia quickly dressed in a green T-shirt and jeans, and went downstairs to start breakfast. Her parents were already at the table, eating and preparing food. Swallowing her eggs, Nalia's mum said, "There's post outside Nalia, would you mind getting it for me?" Nalia nodded, still waking up a little and went outside to pick up the post that had arrived. She walked back into the kitchen with a parcel, and five letters. Nalia handed them to her mum who thanked her and began sorting through them to see what letters had come. "Bills...bills...package for your dad...letter for me...another letter for me...Aha! Letter for Miss Nalia."

Nalia smiled at her mom and took the outstretched letter, tucking it in her back pocket to read later. She then ate her breakfast quietly, watching her mum and dad chatter to each other.

When she was finished, she put her dishes in the sink and trotted upstairs to her room. She was not particularly excited about the letter; it was probably from Rachel, who couldn't wait to tell her something. Sitting down at her desk, Nalia pulled the letter out of the back pocket of her jeans. She looked at it closely. Okay, this was strange, she mused. It wasn't from Rachel. The parchment was a nice touch, but it was one Rachel wouldn't have thought of. Nalia was puzzled. Who would send her a letter? She turned it over. There, on the flap of the envelope, was stamped a large red rubber seal, with an H emblazoned on it. Nalia didn't know anyone by that symbol. She looked to make sure that it was addressed to the right person. In curly green writing, the envelope read:

To Miss N. Jones

The Blue Bedroom

After that, her address was listed.

Well, that's quirky to put my exact room on there, thought Nalia. She was now extremely curious, and decided to open the letter. She slit it open and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Miss Jones,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than August 21.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Nalia's mouth was hanging open as she finished reading. This _had _to be a prank. She looked for signs that would tell her so, but found none. Holy cricket, thought Nalia. What is this stuff?

"Witchcraft and wizardry? I must be hallucinating. It's probably because I didn't eat dinner yesterday. This is all in my head." murmured Nalia. She was beginning to come out of her shock.

Nalia heard the front door open and shut. Oh, that must be Rachel, she thought, temporarily distracted from the letter. She reached into the envelope, hoping to find another piece of parchment that read, "Tricked you! Haha! -Rachel" But she found none such item. Instead, her fingers made contact with another sheet of paper. This one read: Uniform, Coursebooks, and Other Equipment. Nalia scanned the sheet and saw ridiculous items like cauldrons, wands, spellbooks and dragonhide gloves. Dragons! "Of course not, dragons aren't real, even if you wished they were." muttered Nalia. But as she read on how first-years were not allowed brooms, a strange feeling overtook Nalia. She began to soften to the possibilities of dragons and wands. Those potions books gave her a feeling that she'd never had before. Looking at their titles, Nalia felt sure that she would be good at potions. Wait. She wasn't good at anything. Only Rachel was. In a flash, Nalia realized it wasn't all in her head. This wasn't a prank. It was real.

Nalia's hazel eyes began to get big, as she realized what was happening. Far off in the distance, she heard Rachel climbing the stairs to Nalia's room. But it was like she was underwater. She was clinging to one thought in her mind, desperately hoping yet knowing already it was true. Rachel flung open the door and smiled hugely at her friend, dark blue eyes sparkling. But Nalia was still gaping at the letter, and Rachel only saw Nalia's back. Her smile turned to a frown.

"Nalia? Nalz? Are you there?"

Somehow, Nalia felt herself respond with a yes.

"Okay good, because I am so ready to start planning!" exclaimed Rachel.

"Rachel..." Nalia's voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "Rachel..I'm.."

Rachel kept frowning. "Are you sick, Nalia? Should I come back later?"

Nalia swiveled her chair to face her best friend. Her eyes were huge and her face pale.

"Rachel, I'm a witch."


End file.
